Damper-operating apparatus.



No. 708,807. Patented Sept. 9, I902. I

G. GROBET &. C. BERNASCONI. DAMPER OPERATING APPARATUS.

(Application. filed Mar. 24, 1902.

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No. 708,807. I 4 Patented Sept. 9, I902.

" a. enosera'c. ssmmsco DAMPER OPERATING APPARATUS.

V (Application filed Mar. 24, 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Q 41 Q z v Patented Sept. 9,1902 G. GRO BET & C. BERNASCONI. I DAMPER-OPERATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Mar. 24, 1902.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES GROBET AND CHARLES BERN ASCONI, OF VALLORBE, SWITZERLAND.

DAM PER-OPERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,807, dated September 9, 1902.

Application filed March 24, 1902. Serial No. 99,561. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, GEORGES GROBET and CHARLES BERNASCONI, of Vallorbe, Switzer land, have invented an Improvement in Damper-Operating Apparatus for Steam-Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a mechanical means for automatically closing the smoke-box doors of steam-boilers and operating a signal to indicate the necessity of restoking the fire to avoid a decrease of the steam-pressure in the boiler.

Our invention is based upon the principle that in a steam-boiler having a fire-grate of given dimensions the steam-pressure in the boiler will remain practically constant if a predetermined quantity of coal is supplied at a time to the grate and the smoke-box door reopenedimmediately after the stoking of the fire takes place and is then slowly closed until the useful heat is completely burned out of the said quantity of fuel.

Our invention therefore consists in a device which automatically causes the smokebox door of the boiler to be completely reopened every time the fireplace-door is opened and closed, which controls the speed of closing the said smoke-box door, and which operates a call-bell or other device to indicate that the fire should be restoked.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section illustrating our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the spindle to which the fireplace-door is hinged and the parts operated thereby. Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the sliding member. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the member shown in Fig.4. Fig. 7 is an inverted plan taken between the member 4 and the forked member 2, the parts being in the relation shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is an inverted plan taken between the member 4 and the forked member 2, the parts being in the relation shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the brake-cylinder. Fig. 10 is a transverse section taken on the line 00 60, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a plan of the brake-cylinder. Fig. 12 is a general elevation of our invention, illustrating the operative relation of the parts.

of a spring 48.

or, represents the'fireplace-door.

1) represents a brake-cylinder which may be filled with oil'or other suitable liquid and is employed to control the speed with which the smoke-box door or is closed.

01 is a steam-cylinder employed to actuate the parts to open the smoke-box door, and e is a steam-distributer for regulating the admission of steam supplied to the cylinder d. The smoke-box door a is preferably suspended from a rope or other connection, which is secured to the piston-rod of the steam and brake cylinders.

The fireplace-door is preferably hinged to a spindle 1. The upper part of the spindle 1 carries the member 4, which is connected to the said spindle in such a manner that the latter may be turned within the said member 4, which is held rigidly in position by being connected to the door-frame by means of a bolt 11. The member 4 is provided with a segmental recess, in which is secured a'bolt 6. The bolt 6 is provided with a cam-like head and may be adjustably secured in any desired position in the said segmental'slot. The forked member 2 is rigidly secured to the spindle 1 above the member 4. The sliding member 3 is placed within the recess of the forked member 2 and in its normal position is caused to bear against a band 46 by means The segment member 5 is also secured to the upper part of the spindle 1 above the forked member 2 and in such a manner as to be rotated thereon, the said forked member being provided with a cam is supplied to the distributor, and 16 repre-' sents the pipe by which steam is conveyed from the distributer to the steam cylinder d. The steam distribute'r c is also provided with an exhaust-pipe 45. The steam-cylinderd is provided with a piston 14, having a valveseat and transverse ports 19, the piston being secured to the piston-rod 17 by the bolt 18. The piston-rod 17 also carries a valve 20, which is normally held away from the valve-seat by the spring 21 and against a stop 22, secured to the piston-rod. The lower head of the steam-cylinder (1 maybe conveniently provided with a drip-pipe 47. The brake-cylinder b is provided with a piston 23, which is also provided with transverse ports 24. The brake-cylinder?) and steam-cylinder d are preferably arranged in tandem, the piston-rod 17 being common to both. \Vithin the brake-cylinder b the piston-rod 17 carries the valve 25, which is normally held against the valve-seat, closing the ports 24, by a spring 26, which is secured to the stop 27. The brake-cylinder b is also provided with a by-pass 41, having a branch 42 and leading from the upper to the lower end of the cylinder, by way of which the liquid contained in the cylinder is returned from the upper to the lower side of the piston. The amount of liquid flowing through the by-pass is regulated by the hand-cock 43 and the screw-valve 44. The piston rod 17 extends an appreciable distance beyond the upper head of the brakecylinder b and terminates in a head 28, to which a rope 29 or other device passing over pulleys is connected to the smoke-box door a. The rope 29 carries the collar 30, having a projection which is adapted to operate the hell or other indicating device 31. Above the upper head of the brake-cylinder b the piston-rod 17 is provided with a loose collar 32. A lever 33 is connected to the collar 32 and pivoted at 34 toa bracket which is pref erably integral with the upper head of the brake-cylinder. A rod 36 is carried by suitable brackets 37, secured to the cylinder b, the rod 36 being pivoted at 35 to the end of the lever 33. The lower end of the rod 36 is provided with a hook member 39, adapted to engage the latch 40, carried by the valve-rod 7 of the steam-distributer e.

In the operation of the device the fire-box door ais opened to restokethe fire, and in so doing the forked member 2 is swung in the direction of the arrow :0, Fig. 3. By so doing the face of the sliding member 3 is caused to move along the cam 10 until when the door is fully open the sliding member 3 is freed from the cam 10 of the segment member 5 and is forced out against the band 46 by the spring 48. After the fire has been stoked and in closing the fire-box door a the side of the sliding member 3 comes in contact with the edge of the segment member5 and causes the same to be rotated in the direction of the arrow 1 as shown in Fig. In so doing the valve 8 and its rod 7 of the steam-distributor e are moved to the opposite end of the steamdistributer, and steam is admitted to the distributer and from the same to the cylinder d by way of the pipe 16. It is essential that the sliding member 3 be freed from the edge of the segment member 5 before the fire-box door a is completely closed, and the function of the bolt 6, with its cam-like head, is to accomplish this purpose. The parts are so adjusted that before the door a is completely closed the lower side of the sliding member 3 contacts with the cam-like head of the bolt 6 and is withdrawn, so as to free the sliding member 3 from contact between its upper edge and the side of the segment member 5. In moving the valve to the opposite side of the distributer e the latch 40, carried by the valve-rod 7, is moved sufficiently to be engaged by the hook end 39 of the rod 36 and held in this position by the spring 38 until the piston of the steam-cylinder has reached the position shown in Fig. 1, at which time the smoke-box door is completely open, and just previous to which time the head 28 of the piston-rod 17 contacts with the collar 32, which raises the rod 36 and frees the latch 40, and the piston-rod7 is moved to its normal position by the spring 9, thereby shutting off the steam-supply. The smoke-box door is sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the weight of the piston-rod and parts connected to the rope 29, and the rate at which the smoke-box door is closed may be regulated, as hereinbefore stated, by the amount which the screw-valve 44 is opened, or, if found necessary, may be closed immediately by opening the hand-cock 43.

7e claim as our invention 1. In a dam per-operating device for steamboilers, the combination with a fire-box door and a smoke-box door, of a steam-distributor, a steam-cylinder, a brake-cy1inder for automatically closing the smoke-box door and arranged in tandem with the said steam-cylinder, a piston-rod common to both cylinders, means for connecting the said fire-box door to the said piston-rod and means connected to the spindle of the fire-box door and to the said steam-distributer, whereby the smokebox door is opened every time the fire-box door is opened and closed.

2. In a damper-operating apparatus for steam-boilers, the combination with a fire-box door and a smoke-box door, of a steam-distributer, a steam-cylinder, a brake-cylinder for automatically closing the smoke-box door and arranged in tandem with the said steamcylinder, a piston-rod common to both cylinders, means for connecting the fire-box door to the said piston-rod, means connected to the spindle of the fire-box door and to the said steam-distributer, whereby the smokebox door is opened every time the fire-box door is opened and closed,and means for audibly indicating the time when the said smokebox door is closed.

3. In a damper-operating apparatus for steam-boilers,the combination with a fire-box door and a smoke-box door, of a steam-distributer, a steam'cylinder, a brake-cylinder for automatically closing the smoke-box door and arranged in tandem with the said steamcylinder, a piston-rod common to both cylinders, means for connecting the said fire-box.

door to the said piston-rod, means connected to the spindle of the fire-box door and to the said steam-distributer, whereby the smokebox door is opened every time the fire-box door is opened and closed, and means inde pendent of the time consumed in closing the fire-box door, for supplying steam to the steam-cylinder by way of the distributer until the smoke-box door is fully opened.

4. In a damper-operating apparatus, the combination with a fire-box door and a smokebox door, of a steam-distributer, a steamcylinder, a brakecylinder, for automatically closing the smoke-box door and arranged in tandem with the said steam-cylinder,a pistonrod common to both cylinders, means for connecting the said fire-box door to the said pistonrod, means connected to the spindle of the fire-box door and to the said steam-distributer, whereby the smoke-box door is opened every time the fire-box' door is opened and closed, means independent of the time consumed in closing the fire-box door for supplying steam to the steam-cylinder by way of the distributer until/the smoke-box is fully opened, and means for automatically shutting off the steam-supply as soon as the firebox door is fully open.

5. In a damper-operating device, the combination with a fire-box door and a smokebox door, of a steam-distributer, asteam-cylinder, a brake-cylinder for automatically closing the smoke-box door and arranged in tandem with the said steam-cylinder, a pistonrod common to both cylinders, means for connecting the said fire-box door to the said piston-rod, means connected to the spindle of the fire-box door and to the said steam-distributer, whereby the smokebox door is opened every time the fire-box door is opened and closed, and means for regulating the time in which the smoke-box door is automatically closed.

6. In a damper-operating device, the combination with a fire-box door and a smokebox door, of a steam-distributer, a steam-cylinder, a brake-cylinder arranged in tandem with said steam-cylinder, a piston-rod common to both of said cylinders, connections boX door, of a steam-distributer, asteam-cyl-' 'inder, a brake-cylinder arranged in tandem with said steam-cylinder, a piston-rod common to both of said cylinders, connections between said smoke-box door and said piston-rod, means controlled by the opening and closing of the fire-box door for actuating the said distributer to supply steam to the steamcylinder to move the rod to open the smokehox door, means for shutting off the steamsupply when the smoke-box door is fully open,

and means for regulating thetime in which the smoke-box door is automatically closed by the brake-cylinder.

S. In a damper-operating device, the combination with a fire-box door and a smokebox door, of a steam-distributer, a steam-cylinder, a brake-cylinder arranged in tandem with said steam-cylinder, a piston-rod common to both said cylinders, connections between said smoke-loox door and said pistonrod, means controlled by the opening and closing of the fire-box door for actuating the said distributer to supply steam to .the steamcylinder to move the rod to open the smokebox door, means for shutting off the steamsupply when the smoke-box door is fully open, means for andibly indicating that the smoke-box door is closed, and means for regulating the time in which the smoke-box door is automatically closed by the brake-cylinder.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention We have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGES GROBET. CHARLES BERNASCONI; Witnesses:

E. IMER-SOHNEIDER, G. IMER. 

